Thursday, April 6, 2017

Nationals Host Miami in Last Game of 2017 Opening Series

Nationals Baseball

Post PED Gio Looks to Forget 2016



Is the window of opportunity closing on the Washington Nationals? The Nationals have been to the MLB playoffs 3 out of the last 5 years. The Nats have yet to win a series, let alone the World Series. Washington (95-67, +0.27 betting units last year) began the 2017 campaign at home. They end a three-game set versus the Miami Marlins today. MLB Network has Thursday’s finale starting at 4:05 PM ET.

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The Marlins (79-82, 0 –6.11 units) have lower expectations than Washington for 2017. They lost ace pitcher Jose Fernandez in a fatal boating accident last September. The Marlins do have a collection of serviceable starters. Today's pitcher Tom Koehler was 9-13 last season with a 4.33 ERA in 33 starts. He is 1-2 in five career starts against the Nationals with a 4.50 ERA. Current Washington batters have a combined .870 career OPS off Koehler.

Premadonna egomaniac Bryce Harper (.814 OPS) is 11-of-32 lifetime with six homeruns and a 1.385 OPS. There is no telling how good this guy could be if he learned to respect the game. He needs to play it like it is meant to be played and forget all the garbage he brings.

Gio Gonzalez (3.76 FIP) is projected to start for the Nationals. He’s fallen to third in the rotation after a sketchy 2016 season. Washington went 14-18 in his 32 starts. That was for a loss of 10.52 betting units. Current Marlins hitters have managed only a .696 lifetime OPS versus the veteran southpaw. Gonzalez has made at least 32 starts in six of the last seven years. His ERA has risen in each of the last four seasons. Gonzalez's worsening performance has also coincided with his purported performance enhancing drug use.

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Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Dustin Johnson Favored to Win 2017 Masters Tournament

2017 Masters Tournament

Expect High Scores Early at 2017 Masters Tournament



Dustin Johnson did just about everything on the PGA Tour last year. But the reigning Player of the Year has yet to win the Big One: the Masters Tournament at Augusta National. Johnson enters this year’s event as the +550 favorite, followed by Rory McIlroy at +700 and Jordan Spieth at +800.

The Weather for Thursday and Friday is expected to be Sunny and Windy. Don't expect low scores at all on those days and probably the entire tournament.


Thursday

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 54. Windy, with a west wind 25 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.




Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Windy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.




Friday

Sunny, with a high near 58. West wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Weather Courtesy of the National Weather Service



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Johnson finished in a fourth-place tie at Augusta last year before taking down his first major at the US Open. His 2017 campaign is already off to a rolling start. Johnson claimed the No. 1 spot in the World Rankings with a win at the Genesis Open, then he won back-to-back World Golf Championships events – first in Mexico, then the match play tournament in Austin, Texas.

McIlroy has yet to wear the Green Jacket, either, but the former World’s No. 1 has won all the other majors. His best result at Augusta was fourth place in 2015. That’s the year Spieth burst upon the scene and won both the Masters and the US Open. Spieth was also in control of last year’s Masters until falling apart on the back nine and losing to little-known Danny Willett by three strokes. Willett is a +12500 outsider to defend his title.

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Cavs, Celtics Battle for First in the Eastern Conference

Betting on Celtics Basketball

Wild Finish Down the Stretch Between Celtics and Cavs



Lebron James, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, battle the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday night. If the Cavs win they would take the season series 3-1 and own the tiebreaker.

LeBron James recorded his second straight triple-double on Tuesday. He had 41 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in a 2 OT win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. On Tuesday he went off for his 12th triple-double of the season. He had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Oddsmakers have the Celtics favored by 4.5-points and the total is sitting at 219.5.

The Celtics won 110-94 road game against the New York Knicks. The Celtics covered as a -7.5-point favorite. The 204 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Celtics could be missing valuable piece Jae Crowder.

Cleveland was a 122-102 winner against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. The Cavaliers covered in the match as a -11-point favorite, while 224 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson did not travel with the team to Boston after injuring his right thumb during Tuesday's game. The Cavaliers have ruled Thompson out for tonight's contest with the Celtics.

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Next up:
Cleveland home to Atlanta Friday, April 7
Boston at Atlanta Thursday, April 6

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Monday, April 3, 2017

NCAA Championship Game: New Kid Crashes the Party

NCAA Championship

Gonzaga and UNC Have Similar Styles



University of Phoenix Stadium will see the Men's Basketball NCAA Championship game as the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday night. We knew going in that a new kid would crash the party and the championship game would be Old vs. New. Gonzaga and South Carolina battled to see who would battle NCAA Basketball Royalty in North Carolina or Pac -12 stalwart Oregon. We have our answer.

North Carolina has won five titles and is appearing in its record 20th Final Four. Gonzaga is appearing in its first Final Four after spending virtually two decades battling the detractors and pressure of being a very good program in a terrible conference. The programs might hang different kinds of banners in their arenas, but this is a heavyweight matchup for sure. These are two experienced and balancedNo. 1 seeds. They are ready to tangle on Monday at 9:20 p.m.

Oddsmakers opened the Tar Heels as -2-point favorites versus the Bulldogs, while the game's total opened at 154.5. The line is now UNC at -1 and the total climbed to 155.

North Carolina was a 77-76 winner in their semi-final matchup against the Oregon Ducks. They failed to cover the -4.5-point spread as favorites. Justin Jackson averages a team-best 18.3 points. Point guard Joel Berry II, averaging 14.5 points per game. He has been dealing with two balky ankles. He played 35 minutes Saturday night and only shot 2 of 14 from the field.

Gonzaga was a 77-73 winner in semi-final matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks. They failed to cover the -6.5-point spread as favorites. Nigel Williams-Goss is the engine of a Gonzaga attack that shoots 50.8 percent from the field.That is second-best in the country. His 16.9 scoring average leads five players in double figures.

NCAA Championship Betting Trends



Gonzaga:
Team record: 37-1 SU,24-11-2 ATS
Current Streak: won 8 straight games.
Gonzaga is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Gonzaga is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Gonzaga's last 10 games

North Carolina:
Team record: 32-7 SU,20-17-2 ATS
Current Streak: won 5 straight games.
North Carolina is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

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MLB Opening Day: Tigers and White Sox Open in Chicago

MLB OPening Day White Sox

Tigers Poised for Playoff Run



The Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox meet at New Comiskey Park on MLB Opening Day for 2017. These division rivals are in different spots right now. The Tigers have their eye on the World Series and the White Sox are in rebuilding mode and in the middle of a youth movement.

The Tigers have stacked their roster with veterans. The White Sox have turned to younger players as part of a long-term rebuilding project. The team traded left-hander Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox and outfielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals during the offseason. They received a handful of top prospects. 21-year-old second baseman Yoan Moncada is the gem and will start the season with Triple-A Charlotte.

Justin Verlander will be the starting pitcher for the Tigers on this day. Right hander Verlander is 0-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA. He will make his ninth Opening Day start in the past 10 seasons for the Tigers. The 34-year-old is coming off a season in which he finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting. He was 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA last year. He will try for his 20th career win over the White Sox. It is his most against any team except the Royals. who he has 22 wins over.

It'll be Jose Quintana toeing the rubber for the White Sox in this contest. Left hander Quintana is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA so far this season. He will make his first career Opening Day start. Quintana earned double-digit wins for the first time last season with a 13-10 record and a 3.20 ERA. He could yield another batch of talented prospects if Chicago decides to trade him before the deadline.

Oddsmakers opened the Tigers as -130-moneyline favorites versus the White Sox, while the game's total opened at 8. The moneline is stil the same, but the total has dropped to 7.5.

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Next up:
Detroit at Chicago Monday, April 3

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MLB Opening Day: Mets Host Young Braves to Open 2017

Mets MLB Opening Day

Young Braves are Improved



Divisional rivals meet on Monday when the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets meet at Citi Field. 2017 MLB Opening Day will see these two teams square off again and it could be a precursor to a race for the playoffs. If the Mets stay healthy and the Braves can get one more season out of aging Vets Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey they will contend as well.

Right hander Julio Teheran will take the mound for the Braves to start this game. Teheran is 0-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA. Teheran has a 7-3 career record with a 2.36 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) against the Mets. The Braves are also hoping to parlay some late-season success into a good start in 2017. Longtime manager Fredi Gonzalez was fired following a 9-28 start. Atlanta went 59-65 under interim skipper Brian Snitker. That includes a 12-2 record in the final 14 games.

Starting this game for the Mets will be Noah Syndergaard. The right hander has a 0.00 ERA to go along with a 0-0 record this season. He has an 0-1 record with a 5.22 ERA in three career starts against the Braves. The Mets are trying to make the postseason for a franchise-record third straight seasons.

Oddsmakers opened the Mets as -155-moneyline favorites versus the Braves, while the game's total opened at 6.5. The Mets are now -180 and the total is still at 6.5.

The Braves and Mets engaged in fierce NL East races in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Also in a classic six-game NL Championship Series in 1999. But both teams have not finished above .500 and within 10 games of the division lead in the same season since 2007. This year could change all of that.

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Next up:
Atlanta at New York Wednesday, April 5

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Sunday, April 2, 2017

NBA Sunday Preview & Free Pick- Denver at Miami

Miami Heat NBA Sunday

Nuggets Chasing Portland For Playoffs



The Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat kick off a Sunday double header of betting action on NBA TV in a 6 p.m. (ET) tip from American Airlines Arena. BetAnySports opened the Heat as 4.5-point home favorites with the total set at 214. The spread is now Miami -3.5-point favorites and the total has been bet up to 219.

Denver continues to chase down Portland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference; however it has not helped its chances of closing the gap with a SU 2-5 record in its last seven games. One of those setbacks (122-113) came to the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night before dropping a 122-114 decision against Charlotte on Friday. The Nuggets closed as two-point road underdogs in both losses and the total at BetAnySports has gone OVER in five of their last six games.

This is one team that has never really struggled to put points on the board with seven different players averaging at least 10 points per game. Denver (35-40) is the third-highest scoring team in the NBA (111.5 PPG) behind Golden State and Houston, but it is allowing an average of 111.4 PPG on defense. With those last two road losses, the Nuggets have now given up 113 points or more in their last eight games.

Heat in Fierce Battle for Playoff Spot



Miami (37-39) is also fighting for its postseason life in the Eastern Conference, but it has not done itself any favors lately with a 3-4 mark both SU and ATS in its last seven games. Things went from bad to worse on Friday night with a stunning 98-94 loss to the short-handed New York Knicks as a 10.5-point home favorite with BetAnySports. The Heat remain one of the most profitable betting teams this season at 46-30 ATS.

Goran Dragic leads Miami in scoring this season with 20.1 PPG and he ended Friday’s loss with a team-high 22 points. Hassan Whiteside added 17 points to the losing cause as the Heat went a dismal 24.2 percent from three-point range after missing 15 of their last 16 attempts. The one thing that Miami does have going for it in this matchup is a shutdown defense that is ranked fifth in the league in points allowed (101.8).

Both these teams are trying to play their way out of the postseason lately, but when it comes to betting on Sunday’s matchup, I like Miami’s chances at home to bounce back with a SU win that covers BetAnySports’ spread.

 

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Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals Host the Cubs

Sunday Night Baseball

Cubs Open Defense of World Title



The St. Louis Cardinals battle the World Champion Chicago Cubs at New Busch Stadium on Sunday Night Baseball. The Chicago Cubs will play a game as the defending World Series champions. After 108 years that sound is music to the ear to Cubs fans. Opening that defense against their bitter rivals makes it that much more sweet.  The game is televised nationally be ESPN with first pitch at 8:30 pm.

After ending the Curse of the Billy Goat with an amazing comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. Chicago enters the season with the biggest possible target across its chest. The Cubs have most of the same roster that made history last year. Six of eight everyday starters return. The starting rotation is so deep that Kyle Hendricks is the fifth starter. Hendricks pitched at Cy Young level in 2016.

The Starters



The Cubs will give the ball to starter Jon Lester in this one. Left hander Lester is 0-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA.

Lester's Sunday Night Baseball opponent in this one will be Carlos Martinez. The Cardinals right hander has a 0.00 ERA to go along with a 0-0 record this season.

Oddsmakers opened the Cubs as -120-moneyline favorites versus the Cardinals, while the game's total opened at 7.

The Cardinals were a 10-4 winner as they battled the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road to end the 2016 MLB Season. Moneyline bettors who got the Cardinals at -210 were rewarded. The 14 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Martinez hasn't always been successful against the Cubs. He has gone 3-3 with a 4.67 earned run average in 19 games, nine as a starter.

The Cubs were a 8-7 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 MLB World Series. That made winners of bettors who got Chicago at -132 on the moneyline. The total score (15) was good news for OVER bettors. Lester has been effective in nine career starts against the Cardinals. He has posted a 1.97 earned run average despite going only 3-3.

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Next up:
Chicago at St. Louis Sunday, April 2

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